Daddy Tora
by AusllyBeliever
Summary: It's a well-known fact that Igarashi Tora is a womanizer. Women hold no significance to him but, because of his ways, one woman will forever make an impact on his life. The inevitable has finally happened.
1. Chapter 1

Knocking on the apartment door could barely be heard over the sound of baby Kei's joyous laughter. A day filled with his happy attitude was the norm. This day started out that way but ended upside down.

Suzume's mother placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I'll get it, sweetheart." She stood up from her spot on the living room floor and made her way towards the front door in the kitchen. Upon opening the door, she blinked back her surprise. A young man stood in front of her.

"May I speak with Asai Suzume?"

"Suzume!" the woman called out. "There's someone that wants to talk to you!"

The mentioned girl walked in the room, resting Kei on her hip. When she tore her gaze from the child in her arms, she saw who stood at the door and her expression turned serious. "Mom, could you take Kei?"

"Sure," she mumbled. Taking her grandson, she went back into the living room while cooing at the gurgling baby.

The man moved into the apartment just enough to shut the door behind him, not bothering to be invited in. "Why did you never tell me that I have a _child_?!"

Suzume completely ignored his question. "I'm surprised you even care, especially enough to find out where I live and show up here."

"Answer. The question." If he wasn't seething before, he is now.

"You had to know that it was going to happen eventually! I'm just shocked that it took so long. Then again, I guess I'm glad for all of the other women because I was the only unlucky one that had to go through the three _wonderful_ trimesters of pregnancy. Unless there have been other unannounced children." Again, she evaded his words.

"If word gets out that I have a child without being married–"

"It'll damage your reputation, I know," she swiftly supplied in a calm manner. Silence ensued for a few seconds before she slowly continued. "That's why I didn't tell you, or the media for that matter. Sure, I didn't like the fact that you were so quick to push me aside after you got what you wanted but I'm not heartless."

Closing his eyes, he lifted a hand to his forehead and let out a deep sigh. "How old is he?"

"Subtract nine months from how long it's been since you've last seen me and you have your answer," she bit back.

He stared at her while racking his brain, attempting to think back to the date of that night. He hated that he couldn't remember. It made him feel weak and he didn't take that lightly.

When he didn't say anything, Suzume became defensive. "You don't even remember how long it's been, do you? Figures. Just go home, Tora. Forget that you ever came here. Better yet, forget that we even exist. We've been getting along just fine without you."

There wasn't a thing for him to say. He had no experience in this kind of situation, so, of course, he was at a loss for words. All he could bring himself to do was turn around and walk out the door.

Hatomi walked into the room but went unnoticed until she spoke. "Kei's asleep." Her daughter continued to keep her gaze on the door, her breathing heavy, and she automatically knew something about that young man visiting had caused this drastic change in Suzume's mood. "Would you like for me to leave and give you some space?"

"Please…" The word sparsely came out above a whisper, nearly resembling a whimper. It appeared that she was utterly conflicted and hurting emotionally.

Making the move to comfort her with a hug, Hatomi delicately spoke. "If you ever want to talk about it, you know that all you need to do is call." She received a small nod then went on her way, Suzume shutting the door behind her.

After her mom left, she turned and slid down the door with her head in her hands. From there, the tears started to flow and quiet sobs escaped her mouth.

" _BAKA!_ " she shouted through her crying, not knowing exactly who she directed it to. Maybe it was to herself for submitting to Tora's ways over a year ago without seeing the signs of his womanizing ways. Perhaps she directed it at Tora for unexpectedly popping back into her life when she wanted nothing to do with him. Or maybe it was to her father and oldest brother for not being supportive of her decision to keep the baby and forcing her to move out.

Realization hit that her yelling could come back to bite her in the butt. When a few minutes passed and there were no cries to be heard, she knew she was in the clear. Kei was still sleeping soundly.

* * *

Leaving her apartment, he felt defeated but made no move to show it. How could he let a woman get the best of him? Why did he even think that approaching her would be a good idea? He placed the blame on the shock that came with finding out he has a child for clouding his better judgment.

Something caught his attention, though, when Maki reported back to him with his findings on where Suzume could be located. Why wasn't she living at home? Stepping back, he considered another thing. She obviously attended Miyabigaoka and because of her pregnancy situation, she would no longer be allowed to be a student there. So, what is she doing for education since she's living on her own? These questions would be best to ask Maki.

For now, he's just going to continue living as if he has no idea that he has a son.

* * *

"Get anything good today?" a burly and rough-looking man inquired while sitting at a desk.

One of the employees turned his laptop around for his boss to see. "I caught the Igarashi heir walking into an apartment in Seika."

His boss scrutinized the photo on the screen then zoomed in on the doorway. A satisfied smile appeared on his face when he noticed that the girl in the doorway held a baby in her arms. "Nice work, Mitsuya."


	2. Chapter 2

**You guys are** ** _AMAZING_** **! Within the first three hours of posting the first chapter, there were 27 views! By the time I posted this, there were 173! I cannot describe how great that makes me feel that you were willing to give me a chance, even though I'm sure my summary is absolute crap. I seriously struggled to come up with what I wrote for that.**

 **I was shooting for a week until I updated and that's exactly what I did! I feel so accomplished. I'll try to update every week, key word:** ** _try_** **. If I don't make it in a week, expect an update the next week. Just realize that I have other obligations that qualify as being more important.**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Minniemiss123 (Guest):_** **I find that with ToraxMisa, I feel restricted because I already know so much about Misaki's character that I can't really stray too far from her feelings and personality so that's why it's ToraxOC. I have read some ToraxMisa though! I just can't write it… But I do intend to incorporate Misaki into the story!**

 ** _MissKireiUchiha:_** **You are so right! There's a shortage of Tora stories!**

 ** _Samara16:_** **Thank you for your interest!**

 ** _Takumisa17:_** **This chapter is close to 400 words longer so you're welcome ;)**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! It makes me feel all tingly inside to see "Review: Daddy Tora" as the subject line whenever I get an email! I hope to see reviews from more of you! And with that, I shall let you get on with reading!**

* * *

The warm breeze felt nice against Suzume's skin. After what happened yesterday, she decided to take Kei to the park. So here they are, her pushing him along in the stroller while he naps, spending the day outdoors. Being at the end of April meant that most of the cherry blossoms have already bloomed, which created a massive canopy of pink flowers over the wide walkway.

She sat down on a nearby bench, taking in the beauty surrounding her for a second before turning her attention back to her child. One of her hands reached out to brush over his spiky, pale blonde hair. A smile graced her lips as she thought about how much joy he's brought her.

It pains her that he's being raised with such a lack of family. The only familial relations that he has besides her are his grandmother and youngest uncle. If only the circumstances would've been better, then he might have his father and paternal grandparents.

A ringing from her back pocket erupted and she dug out her phone. Flipping it open, she answered with the standard hello.

"Are you at home?" Michio, the youngest of her two older brothers, asked with a slightly panicked voice.

"No… I'm at the park with Kei, why?" she replied, worried and skeptical.

He cursed under his breath. "Get home as quickly as possible. I'm on my way and I'll explain everything when I get there." Before she could get another word in, he ended the call. Suzume wasted no time in getting up and beginning to make her way back out of the park.

Michio's tone was enough to cause her senses to heighten. Now, she felt as if she was being watched and her pace quickened.

Just as she reached the end of the walkway where it led back to the street, a small group of people formed around her and started throwing questions at her. 'Igarashi' and 'son' were some of the only words she could understand, seeing as they were the most frequently repeated. It only took seconds for her to know who these people were. Some of them were holding cameras and audio recorders so it shouldn't have been hard to figure out.

Even though she had some experience in dealing with the media due to her family's social standings, never has she faced paparazzi by herself and head-on like this. What could she do but keep her mouth shut and continue home? They followed and it seemed like the further she walked, more of them appeared. Soon enough, she couldn't move. That was the last straw.

"Excuse me! All I want to do is take _my_ son home, so could you please move out of the way?" she burst, swiveling her head to look them in the eyes at the same time. It's not like she could really help her maternal instincts kicking in.

Speaking out only encouraged them to continue asking their questions and they began invading her personal space, unsatisfied with the already close proximity.

"I believe the lady _politely_ asked you to move out of the way."

Every head turned to see a navy-haired young man with glasses standing behind them. He walked forward and forced the crowd to step aside, allowing Suzume room to push the stroller down the sidewalk. With defeated looks on their faces, the paparazzi dispersed. The young man that helped her out walked with her for a bit, just in case all of those people came back.

"Thank you."

Rubbing his neck, a bit of color tinted his cheeks. "It wasn't a problem."

Looking back up at him, she had a puzzled expression on her face. "You seem very familiar."

His facial expression changed to one of shock. She recognized him? "I'm the new Student Council President at Seika High."

"Wait a second." Stopping in place, she stared at him with wide eyes. "Kanou?"

Wow, she even remembered his name too. "Yeah, it's me."

"I can't believe I didn't recognize you at first! You've just changed so much since I graduated."

Suzume couldn't believe the difference a month could make. An authoritative aura surrounded him, probably from claiming the presidential position on the Student Council. Kanou also approached her a lot easier than he used to. She assumed that was due to him becoming more comfortable around girls.

Not only were his actions different, but his physical appearance changed as well. He didn't have a hoodie on like he usually did and he looked as if he grew a centimeter or two. No wonder she didn't recognize him at first, he wasn't wearing the Seika school uniform either.

A block away from her apartment building is where they bid each other goodbye. It surprised her that, through everything that happened, Kei remained asleep. Apparently, he inherited her heavy sleeping.

When she unlocked her apartment, she gently took him out of the stroller and laid him down in his crib. Immediately after she got the stroller put away, there was rapid knocking on the door. The moment she opened it, Michio stepped inside and immediately closed it.

He pulled out a flimsy, glossy book from his leather laptop bag and stuck it out for her to see. Stiffening at the sight of the cover story plastered on the magazine, she pursed her lips then squeezed her eyes shut.

Before reopening her eyes, she took a deep and shaky breath. "So that's why I got targeted by the paparazzi," she muttered.

"What?" her brother quickly responded, clearly irritated at the statement. "They found you? That's what I was trying to prevent!"

In a firm tone, she scolded him, "Kei's asleep, try to keep it down."

"I…" he began and sighed. As her older brother, he felt obligated to keep her and his nephew safe. He couldn't help it. "I suppose I can't do anything about that since it already happened. There's something else I need to discuss with you, though, before Father or anyone else gets ahold of you." Obviously, he was hesitating to discuss the upcoming issue.

"It's about Igarashi, right?" Michio glanced down to the floor and remained quiet.

"He's the one, isn't he?" Then and there, her biggest secret that she kept from everyone had been exposed to one of the few people that stuck by her through it all.

His eyes shifted back up in time to see a teardrop roll down his little sister's cheek. Using that as his confirmation, he moved forward and hugged her tight. "I always had a feeling he wasn't the gentleman everyone perceived him as. I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you from him, Sis."

Her voice turned out muffled as she spoke from burying her face in his chest. "It's not your fault. I should've known better than to ever get involved with him."

"But you know what? You got something wonderful out of it." He could feel her faintly smiling against him, making him feel a little better after seeing her tear up.

* * *

"Son…" Although it came out as a low growl and its intent was to instill intimidation, Tora sat in his father's home office with a bored look on his face which irked the older man further. "What is the meaning of _these_?" Several magazines were strewn across his desk, all having the same subject for their headlines.

"I believe they're used for spreading gossip," he sarcastically replied.

Igarashi Tashiro scowled at his son's careless attitude. "Don't get smart with me! It may be just 'gossip' but very few will see it that way and, from these pictures, it appears to hold some truth."

"Tora, just be honest with us." His mother spoke softly with an underlying tone of pain and her eyes pleaded him as she stood off to his father's left. "Are what these magazines saying true? Is this little boy really yours?"

He'd always been closer with her than his father and he supposed that would be his downfall in this conversation because he couldn't stand to see her like this. Not when she'd always been easygoing and helping him keep things from Tashiro so things wouldn't escalate until he needed them to.

"Yes, the child is mine."

"Darn it, Tora! You've let your desires control you and blemish the family name!" the angered man bellowed then became eerily calm. "However… there _is_ a simple solution to this issue."


	3. Chapter 3

**Updating on time two weeks in a row, yes! This chapter is longer than I normally make them – and longer than the last one – but it's all good and I'm positive you would rather have them longer. Am I right?**

 **I'm glad to see that you all liked the last chapter and I hope you like this one just as much!**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Samara16:_** **I think whether or not the solution is bad is a matter of opinion… Thanks for reviewing again!**

 ** _Takumisa17:_** **I try to get these out quick but I don't want to ruin the quality either. It just so happens that the words have been flowing right out of me! Thanks to you, also, for reviewing again!**

 **Okay, I'll stop with the author's note so you can read. ;)**

* * *

In the middle of Michio and Suzume conversing, Kei woke up. He began to cry and it wasn't hard to tell what was wrong. Now, the three of them sat in the living room, Suzume feeding the hungry little boy. He shouldn't be so hungry anymore, though, since the bottle's contents are nearly gone and he had eaten a whole cup of applesauce before that.

Michio was preparing to leave, his business with his little sister done. Just as he opened the door, that business became incomplete. The man standing on the other side of the door frame had his hand raised, ready to knock, but soon lowered it.

Clearing his throat, the unknown man spoke. "Is Miss Asai Suzume here?"

She walked forward when she heard her name. "That's me. What can I do for you?"

"Your presence is requested at the Igarashi household, as well as your son's." Blinking back her shock, she came up with scenarios in her head. None of them were good news.

"My sister and nephew won't be going without me," Michio asserted, unwilling to take the risk of her being undermined.

Sighing deeply, the man – who turned out to be one of the Igarashis' drivers – reluctantly gave in. Mr. Igarashi probably won't like this but he wanted her there as soon as possible and he probably just cut out five minutes of arguing. "Very well then."

In the back seat of a sleek town car, the two siblings conversed in hushed whispers. Both knew the reasoning for the request was due to all of the press about an illegitimate child. Their nervousness drew from the fact that they have no idea what to expect when they arrive.

The driver opened the door for them to step out of the vehicle once they made it to their destination. A maid then directed them inside the mansion towards a parlor.

Three slim, yet tall windows allowed sunlight to stream in from the wall opposite of the door. Light and neutral colors made up the color scheme for the room. They sat next to each other one of the couches that faced the windows, Suzume holding Kei in her arms.

A woman walked into the parlor, greeting the rising guests with a soft smile and small bow. Her brother bowed while Suzume dipped her head in greeting since she held Kei in her arms. "Hello, Miss Asai. I'm Igarashi Hanako. My apologies, my husband is tied up in a very important call at the moment. May I ask who this is?" She fixed her attention on the older male.

"This is my brother, Asai Michio."

"I can see the resemblance between you two." After a couple seconds of awkward silence, Mrs. Igarashi gestured with a hand for them to sit back down as she sat while drawing in a breath. "I am sure you know the reason for your being here." Her eyes settled on the infant, her smile now faint but fond. She's a _grandmother_ …

Suddenly, a buzzing noise sounded from a pocket of Michio's suit jacket. He sported a sheepish grin and pulled his cell phone out, his eyes widening just a fraction at the caller ID.

"I'm terribly sorry but I must take this call."

"Of course." Hanako gave a small nod to one of the maids who, in turn, showed Michio to a room with privacy. And now Suzume was left all alone…

* * *

Stepping into one of the other parlors that was empty, Michio finally answered the call with a swift hello.

"These articles are driving your father crazy, enough to the point that he's considering finding Suzume. Where is she? Please tell me she's not at home, yet still somewhere safe," his mother pleaded in a hushed tone.

"Well, I was with her at her apartment but we're currently at the Igarashis' main estate."

Hatomi's eyes bugged out of their sockets. "What? What do you mean 'at the Igarashis' main estate'?" she hissed but got no further explanation from her youngest son because of an interference on her end of the line.

Through the phone, he could hear his father raging. Apparently, he overheard their conversation – more like eavesdropped. From what he could clearly make out before she ended the call, there would soon be quite the scene here.

Not wanting to stress his sister further, he decided he wouldn't tell her about the impending doom and deal with it on his own.

* * *

It was clear to her that Hanako wanted to hold him. Her bronze eyes had that sparkle in them that her own mother had when she first laid eyes on her grandson. That's what made Suzume abruptly stand up and place him in her arms.

The expression on her face when he wrapped a hand around one of her fingers was priceless. If one grandmother didn't spoil him enough, two would _definitely_ spoil him rotten.

Keeping Kei away from his paternal family had never been Suzume's intentions. She addressed that concern with Hanako already, her face regrettably heating up during that part of their conversation seeing as it led to… deeper topics. Surprisingly to her, she received a sympathetic look that told her Hanako knew about her son's womanizing.

"It's been a long time since I've held someone as little as you," Hanako whispered to the nearly six-month-old boy, her expression bright and full of adoration. One of his hands stretched up and latched onto the simple, glinting amethyst pendant necklace that hung around her neck. Lightly laughing, she spoke to him. "That's daddy's birthstone. I'll have to get one for you now, too."

At the mention of Tora, Suzume went from a content state of mind back to one of worry. What were they going to do about this issue? That is the whole reason she's here, after all.

As if reading her mind, the doors opened and in walked Mr. Igarashi with Tora right behind him. They remained standing, stopping next to the couch where Hanako resided.

"Miss Asai, let me get straight to why you're here," Tashiro began. "I'm sure you're aware of the position this scandal puts the Igarashi Group in since you yourself are from an upper-class family. I believe the proper solution is the most obvious one: you and Tora must marry."

Her breathing pattern quickened while her face paled and she suddenly wondered where her brother was. He came to help her, so where is he now that she really needs him?!

"M-marriage?" Suzume looked between the three Igarashis. Unease settled in when she glanced at Tora and she saw his blank gaze. Was he not going to even try and fight against this decision? Certainly, he couldn't be happy about it.

Tashiro gave his son a pointed look and received a glare in return but didn't care to acknowledge it since Tora followed his pre-discussed orders anyway.

Stepping in front of where she sat, he got down on one knee. Warily, she watched his movements very closely. He pulled a small, expensive-looking box from an inner jacket pocket and popped the lid open to reveal an exquisite diamond ring. Before Tora could grab the thin band from its cushion, angered yelling could be heard in the hall.

A man burst into the room, staff shouting that he couldn't go into the parlor and he needed to leave immediately. Suzume briskly stood out of fear of seeing her father so infuriated. Behind him, she could see her oldest brother who almost matched their father's anger. Her mother and Michio were attempting to reason with them but had no such luck. She realized that's why he was gone for so long.

The Asai patriarch's eyes zeroed in on his only daughter – whom he spurned well over a year ago – and the Igarashi heir. That image refueled the flames. He began approaching, set on exacting his vengeance.

Knowing that his parents would expect it of him in this situation, Tora rose from his kneeling position and grabbed Suzume's arm to pull her behind him for protection. "You have no right to barge into this estate. I'm afraid I must ask you to leave," he announced in a low voice.

Blatantly ignoring him, her oldest brother, Akira, started running his mouth. "If you think this stunt of yours is going to get you established back into the family, you're wrong. It's _shameful_."

"No, what's shameful in this situation is the fact that you are trespassing on private property. I suggest that you leave. _Now_ ," Tora interjected without skipping a beat.

Mr. Igarashi took a menacing step forward. "My son is right. I would hate to see what might happen to your company if we have to involve the authorities."

"Ichiro..." Hatomi placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

Narrowing his eyes at Suzume, he proclaimed, "No matter who you marry, you will never be a child of mine." Getting his last bitter words out in the open, he turned and stalked away with Akira following.

Hatomi entered into a deep bow after the two walked out of the room. "I'm terribly sorry for the actions of my husband and son."

Coming out from behind the tall blonde that was shielding her, Suzume ran over to her mother and engulfed her in a tight hug. When they pulled away from each other, the older woman gave her a subtle smile.

"Please, continue as you were." Her mother's words were shocking to hear. Surely, she had to have figured out that Tora is Kei's father. Everything that Suzume had to endure because of him, how could she just…?

Michio's eyes were as wide as his sister's. "Mom, are you alright with this?"

Staring at her daughter whilst replying, she held back tears. "It's not my choice to make. I have faith that your sister will make the right decision. All I'm saying is that if she accepts, she has my consent."

Before turning around to face the father of her child, Suzume bit her lower lip and looked to the floor. Snapping her eyes shut, she nodded to Tora. He proceeded to place the ring on the appropriate finger and, as she watched him do so, she thought of how this was the best thing for her son. It wasn't just her life she had to be concerned about, but Kei's also.


	4. Chapter 4

**The next update is here! I'm going to make this short, sweet, and to the point because I know we all would rather skim or skip an author's note. Please follow, favorite, and/or review at your leisure** ** _but_** **don't forget to enjoy first!**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Patricia Walker (Guest):_** **You are so right! Because of Tora's personality and all, I'm really excited to explore what I think he will be like as a dad.**

 ** _Minniemiss123 (Guest):_** **Well now you're all caught up! I know how it feels when an author responds to my comments and it's great, so that's why I do it. :)**

 ** _MystearicaBlaze:_** **We don't get Tora stories that often! There needs to be more! Thank you for reading and I'm glad you like it!**

 ** _Samara16:_** **You had a pretty good guess then!**

* * *

Tilting her head back and closing her eyes, she allowed the water to rain down on her skin. There was silence for a few brief moments before she let out a deep sigh and returned her head to its upright position. Reaching through the spray from the shower head, she turned the handle to the 'off' setting.

Two white, plush towels waited on the rack hanging on the nearby wall. She grabbed one of them and wrapped her hair up in it while the other was for her body. A certain way she moved caused her eye to catch a gleam from the bathroom counter.

Padding over to the luxurious marble sink, she stared at the object before deciding to pick it up. Suzume had no idea what made her do it, but she slipped the delicate ring on her finger without much hesitation. It was because she was about to go out in public, she told herself. If she were to be seen without that ring on, there would be even more trouble.

Numbly, she continued to get ready for the day ahead of her. The whole time, she thought about all of the changes that have already taken place just within the few days of her engagement.

* * *

Before she left the Igarashis' home with her son to go back to their own, Tashiro mentioned how she and Kei would have to move into the estate the next day as – mainly – a safety precaution and a couple of other things that would be happening rather rapidly now that she and Tora were to be married.

As soon as they arrived at home, she put Kei in his playpen with a couple of his favorite toys. She figured that it'd be easier to get started on packing everything now instead of leaving it all for tomorrow and exhausting herself. Things like pictures and other sentimental items got packed up first, followed by clothing.

Taping up one of the full boxes, she was interrupted by a single knock on the door and then some bickering. With a furrowed brow, she made her way through the apartment. Who could it be at seven in the evening?

The bickering paused when the door opened. A surprised expression covered Suzume's face as Ayuzawa Misaki and Usui Takumi came into view.

"What are you two doing here? I mean, not that you can't come visit me or your godson but it's a little late…" she drifted off, stepping aside so that they could walk in.

"That's what I told him but he wanted to come check up on you. I also told him that you were old enough to take care of yourself," Misaki explained with a pointed glare in Usui's direction before taking on a confused face. "What's with the boxes? Did you find a different place?"

Her left hand reached up to rub her neck. "Oh, um, you could say that."

Usui's eyes suspiciously zeroed in on the ring that adorned her hand. "She's engaged."

"What?! Last I knew, you weren't even dating anyone! When did this happen?"

"Today, actually," Suzume mumbled. "Look, I need to tell you this before you hear it from another source. Kei's father is Igarashi Tora."

At that, Misaki snapped. "I should've known that rich pervert was responsible for this when you said you were transferring from Miyabigaoka to Seika!"

Though calm on the outside, Usui was beginning to go into protective mode. This girl is like a sister to him. "So you're saying that he's your fiancé?" he asked stiffly.

Suzume released a short and breathy sigh. "Yes, he is. And tomorrow, Kei and I are moving into the estate. I know you don't like him and, trust me, I'm not a fan either but I'm doing this for Kei."

"Why all of a sudden?" came Misaki's worried voice.

Shock covered her face. "You haven't seen any of the magazines that suspect Tora's the father?" The couple shook their heads. "They're the only reason this engagement ever got brought up. If they hadn't gotten that picture of him at my apartment yesterday, everything would be under wraps still."

"Come over to my place if you ever feel the need to escape. You know you're always welcome," the raven-haired girl commented, concerned for her friend.

Suzume smiled, albeit with sorrow. "Thanks." There was a short pause. "I don't mean to make you feel like I'm kicking you guys out but I think I'm going to put Kei to bed and then do the same myself. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Usui and Misaki said their goodbyes and left the apartment on edge.

* * *

It was odd having people do things for her again. She'd gotten used to doing it all for herself after getting kicked out when her father found out she was pregnant. Although, it did make packing and unpacking go by a lot quicker and with more ease.

Hanako had asked the maids to prepare the room next to Tora's for her arrival. All of the colors in the room were neutral but light. Because of that, the already large room seemed even bigger. That was especially true when the doors to the balcony were open. She may not want to be there but it wouldn't stop her from exploring her new surroundings.

Currently, most of her and Kei's things were unpacked and put away. There were still some boxes pushed off to the side. Suzume told the maids that they could wait and finish the rest later since Kei was with his grandparents and she felt like she needed time to herself. It wasn't long until they came back and guided her down to the dining room for dinner.

She felt awkward sitting at the elongated table with Tora by her side and it was obvious that his parents knew it. They would ask her questions to try to lighten the mood and also get to know her. After she answered them, however, the atmosphere would turn back to its original state until the process started all over again.

When dinner finished, she and Tora walked back to their rooms in silence. Kei fell asleep before they began eating and remained asleep even as they made their way through the halls. Suzume knew the moment that she went to put him in pajamas, his eyes would pop open and then he'd be crabby due to his sleep being cut short.

Wordlessly, Tora stepped into his room even though she had told him a meek goodnight. Was it just wishful thinking if all she wanted was for them to be able to converse with each other like normal people?


	5. Chapter 5

**I feel so bad for being a day late! It was beyond my control though… my wifi was down yesterday which especially sucked because I had homework to finish online.**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Vijju123:_** **Thank you! I honestly thought this path would have been traveled before since it's Tora we're talking about…**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviews, reads, follows, and favorited! Now get to reading!**

* * *

Once she finished getting ready, Suzume met Tora at the front door so they could leave. She seated herself in the car first, placing her shoulder bag consisting of a laptop, textbook, and other things she might need at her feet.

Tension still remained in the atmosphere between the two, even after the couple days since she and Kei moved in. After a quick glance at her hand, she shifted her gaze to watch the passing scenery and let her mind wander as they were off to the college they both so happen to attend.

* * *

Two days ago, moving was the biggest issue clogging her mind. Today, the soon-to-be-released news of the engagement took that spot.

Her, Kei, and the Igarashis were all gathered at the Igarashi Group's main operations building in a room that appeared to be used solely for press conferences. Considering that she and Tora would be the main reason for the conference, Hanako held onto Kei. Personally, Suzume believed that she was just looking for an excuse to hold her grandson but she didn't mind either way.

Beforehand, Hanako helped her choose a pale orange one-shoulder dress where the sleeve flared out. It stopped just below the knee. The white crocheted, close-toed wedges she wore put her just an inch or two under Tora's height.

Once the hands on the clock read four o'clock, it seemed as if the floodgates had opened to release the awaiting mass of people carrying cameras, microphones, tape recorders, and anything else that could be used to document what was about to be announced. They had all taken their seats while Suzume's heart thumped loudly in her head after seeing all of the attention she was already attracting.

Tashiro walked up to the podium in front of them and the reporters quieted down immediately. Flashes from cameras also became more frequent.

"Many of you may recognize the young woman standing beside my son as Miss Asai Suzume after a very recent event that has transpired. While I cannot say that I entirely condone their actions leading up to this point in time," he slowly started out. At those words, she turned a faint shade of pink and subtly looked down at her hands which were folded in front of her. She didn't dare steal a glance in Tora's direction. "I have come to terms with the situation at hand.

"In what little time my wife and I have known Miss Asai, we have already seen that she is a very dignified, capable, rational, and charming young woman as well as a dedicated mother. That is why we are happy to welcome her as our future daughter-in-law. We look forward to getting to know more about her and watching our grandson grow."

Mentally, she made a note to thank Tashiro and Hanako later, in private. To know that they already thought so much of her was relieving and touching. Her problem appeared to be the complete opposite of the normal daughter-in-law. Getting along with her in-laws would be easy. Getting along with her husband would prove to be difficult seeing as he hasn't spoken a word to her since his proposal.

The press conference ended with posing altogether for some pictures – she was positive that some of them would end up on magazine covers. Awkwardly faking a smile through them, they had even taken some with just her and Tora. A few of those had Kei thrown into the mix per request. They were their first – surely, of many – family photos.

* * *

"-ey. Hey!" Long fingers snapping in front of her face suddenly brought her out of her memory and she blinked rapidly, turning her head to the source.

"Sorry," she replied.

Skipping over her apology and irritated at her lack of responding sooner, Tora simply stated, "We're here." Their first words to each other in a few days and they were already off to a rocky start. She mentally scolded herself.

The driver had opened the door for them and, because he stepped out first, Tora's right hand was stretched out and waiting for her to take it as she exited the vehicle. Suzume figured it'd be safe to assume he only did so because of them being out in the open, surrounded by people with prying eyes.

Once she no longer needed his hand – not that she necessarily needed it in the first place – she quickly slipped hers away and clutched both hands around the handles on her bag that she held in front of her.

They silently walked side-by-side down the sidewalk from there and upon entering the building that held her class until she stopped. The missing patter of her flats caused him to stop as well and turn to see her looking at him with her arms now at her sides.

"You don't have to walk me to class, I think I can handle it on my own."

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed her by the wrist and continued through the building. "There are people all around. Some of them are ready to get their hands on a scoop that could earn them some cash and _I_ don't think it'd be wise for me to show up with you but not escort you. Enough talk has been surrounding us already. It doesn't need to escalate."

Suzume kept her mouth closed, knowing fully well that he was right. The less negative attention they got, the better.

When they reached her class, he told her to meet him in the courtyard after classes where the car would be waiting to take them back home.

Glares from predatory, feminine eyes were pointed at Suzume as she walked up the stairs to her regular seat in the lecture hall. She did her best to ignore them but that didn't mean she couldn't feel their stares. It hadn't occurred to her that there would be jealous women. One of Japan's top eligible bachelors was no longer on that list because of her.

Fate must have wanted to pin a target on her back. It sure did one heck of a good job.


	6. Chapter 6

**I feel so bad! I haven't posted anything in a few weeks… I'm so sorry! Things have been crazy. Since I last posted, I've been to two birthday parties for family members, had quite a bit of homework, and the student body at my school has been fighting the school board about teachers being cut for next year. Plus, I had a case of writer's block. Again, I'm sorry.**

 **Fortunately, I was able to break out of my writer's block finally and finish this chapter. YAY! Thank you for everyone who has favorited, followed, reviewed, and/or read.**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Padfoot Starfyre:_** **Yes, you are correct. Tora being an Igarashi kind of warrants that the media covers this giant story. A story like his is what sells.**

 **I'll shut up now. ENJOY!**

* * *

Walking around campus had never bothered her so much before. Everywhere she went, women were glaring and men were staring. She didn't really notice the men, at least not until one of them nearly walked into a tree as she was making her way through the courtyard. Most of them looked her up and down while there were some that watched with hearts for eyes – the guy that almost hit a tree being one of the minority.

Suzume assumed they recognized her after the engagement news like the women did, except for the fact that they made her uncomfortable for a totally different reason. They knew she was engaged, yet they didn't back down. Her only guess as to why they even bother is that they thought if she was good enough to snag a guy like Igarashi Tora, she must be something special. A couple of men were bold and cat-called as she walked past them and towards the car, causing her face to turn red and her pace to quicken.

She didn't know what was worse, the hateful glares from the women or the lusting gazes of the men.

* * *

When he saw no trace of her, Tora assumed that his last class had ended before hers and decided that he wouldn't stand around to wait for her, but wait in the car instead. It wasn't too long until he could see her coming down the walkway so he got back out of the car, set on holding the door open for her like a gentleman since that is what the proper thing to do would be.

Upon hearing the catcalls, he narrowed his eyes at the men staring down his fiancée. It didn't matter if he wanted this marriage or not, his possessiveness kicked in. There was a _very_ public announcement about their engagement that made it _very_ clear that she's _his_ , not theirs.

After she got a bit closer, he strode over to her and guided her to the car with a hand on the small of her back while shooting menacing glares at the men within close proximity. He knew it threw her off-guard because the moment he touched her, she straightened her posture out of surprise.

Once they were in the privacy of the vehicle, she raised a questioning eyebrow and gave him a strange look. "Are you okay?"

Tora made no move to turn his head in her direction, speaking in a flat tone. "I'm fine."

* * *

A week after the official announcement, Suzume is sitting with Hanako at a wrought-iron table in an area of the garden behind the house. Even though she hasn't spent much time with her mother-in-law-to-be, she found out that she enjoyed her company as much as she did with her actual mother.

One of the maids poured some tea for the two of them before disappearing back into the house, leaving them alone to talk. Hanako donned a smile the whole time and it seemed to cause one to pop up onto Suzume's face as well.

"I remember your first night here you said you were studying in the marketing field. How do you like it?" the older of the two questioned, raising her teacup to her mouth.

"Because you have to look at demographics and analyze trends, there's a creative aspect to it that I really enjoy," Suzume immediately replied. "Ever since my father no longer considered me as part of the family, I seriously started to think about what career path that I wanted to take. The possibility of ever entering the family business wasn't there anymore, not that I minded. I don't know how I would have handled working with my father and oldest brother in a field I didn't like."

With a soft smile, she reassured the young woman. "Well, you're in good hands here."

Suzume voiced a doubtful thanks and tried to return the smile but she found it hard to do. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that her future in-laws would help her, should she ever need it. Tora on the other hand, she couldn't be too sure.

As if being able to hear her thoughts, Hanako placed a hand on top of her wrist as her hands were grasping the teacup in front of her. "Tora will come around eventually. I'm not going to lie to you. If he could find a way to escape the engagement, he would."

"I know."

"However, I believe that he knows there's not really any solution that could fix a situation like this. I think that if he came up with one, he would have tried it already." No response came from Suzume. All she did was stare into the brown-colored liquid in her cup. "I didn't mean to make you upset but I think it's best that you hear the truth when it comes to him."

Without averting her eyes, she quietly spoke up. "No, it's alright. I've known Tora since high school. I know how he is, so that thought has already crossed my mind once or twice."

"How about we go off on a little tangent from this subject?" Hanako took a breath. "I wanted to tell you that Tashiro and I are planning the engagement party for next week. Anyone that you want to invite, you just let me know."

Lifting her gaze, Suzume gave the older woman a tiny smile. "Thank you. I know that I at least want my mother and Michio to be there. I have a few friends that I'd like to invite, as well."

"Of course. Just give me a list and I'll have it taken care of."

Squinting and slightly opening her mouth, Suzume remembered something as she sipped her tea. "Earlier this week, on Tuesday, something that Tora did caught me by surprise. I had finished my classes and was on my way to the car. He was waiting for me but got out of the car when he saw me coming. What surprised me was how he put his hand on my back when he got close enough. I asked if he was okay and he said he was fine. After that, he didn't speak to me for the rest of the day."

Hanako made a low humming sound as she considered what she heard. "Was there anything unusual happening on Tuesday? It was your first day back to classes following the announcement, after all."

"I got some pretty nasty glares from girls all day. The reason for that is a no-brainer. There was a significant number of guys staring me down too."

"I see now," Hanako quickly said, her eyes holding a certain glint in them. "It was his possessiveness seeping through. Maybe there's a little jealousy mixed in there somewhere."

"J-Jealousy?"

She looked her future daughter-in-law right in the eyes. "I know my son very well, Suzume. I've seen him around many girls, more than he realizes. He's shown possessiveness before when it comes to women but never when he's had solid justification like this. You are his fiancée and no one else's."

Her comments resonated in Suzume's mind, letting it all soak in.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter. I don't know how I feel about it… it's okay, I guess. There's a link in my profile for what Suzume is wearing in this chapter. I don't really have anything else to say so READ ON!**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Padfoot Starfyre:_** **You're right about the media and tabloids because Igarashi is such an important name in business. Of course, we can't have Tora without the possessiveness. I feel like Tora's mom would be super sweet and understand her son a bit more than he realizes so that's why Suzume is confiding in her.**

* * *

Just two days before, staff began prepping for the engagement party. The embellishments of the main level were fancier than they had previously been, if that was even possible. Tables and chairs were starting to be set up outside, close to the garden. Even the landscaping looked a tad neater. On the day of, center pieces and other last-minute decorations were placed in their appropriate spots.

Upstairs in her bedroom, a maid zipped up the strapless, light blue ombré dress that Suzume picked out and finished helping her get ready for the night. She wore a pair of golden heels, which were hidden under her floor-length gown. All her hair had been swept to one side and slightly curled by the maid.

People had already started arriving. She knew because she could hear the chatter of people outside, socializing before the party officially starts. Out of curiosity, she wondered if her mother, Michio, and the others on her list that she gave to Hanako were here yet.

With her work done, the maid bowed and left. Suzume was alone once again. Well, she wasn't _completely_ alone.

A pair of hands pressed against her leg. Glancing downward, she crouched to pick up her son who she thought looked adorable in his little suit. She spent a few minutes sitting on her bed with him before there was knocking on her door.

"Come in," she announced, standing up and balancing Kei on her hip.

Upon opening the door, Tora began speaking. "I was told to come get you…" His voice faded when he got out from behind the door and got a glimpse at his fiancée but quickly recovered. "It's time to greet everyone."

She gave him a curt nod and they walked down the hall until they saw his parents.

"We're going to walk out and welcome everyone, then introduce you two," Tashiro explained.

Suzume handed Kei off to his grandparents as they turned to greet everyone, leaving her alone with Tora in an awkward silence.

* * *

"Welcome and thank you all for coming to celebrate our son's engagement with us." Tashiro stood at the top of the elegant double staircase next to Hanako as she held their grandchild. "May my wife and I introduce our son, Igarashi Tora, and his fiancée, Asai Suzume."

They stepped aside and slightly turned to look behind them. The engaged couple began walking out from their hiding place in the hall with arms linked. Both wore strained smiles, though no one else could tell any different. Searching the applauding crowd below, Suzume's smile became a little more real when she saw her mother and Michio.

"Let's all enjoy ourselves tonight," Tora addressed everyone. Some people went back to their socializing; others began heading towards the buffet table. Tora and Suzume walked down the stairs to join everyone. At the bottom of the staircase, she hugged her mother and brother while he did the same but chose to shake Michio's hand instead.

Hatomi looked at her daughter with admiration. "You look beautiful, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Tora… I trust you're treating my sister and nephew well?"

Said sister's eyes widened. "Michio!"

"What? I'm your brother, I think I'm entitled to ask your fiancé some questions," he defended himself.

Without acknowledging the comments made between the question and now, Tora gave an answer. "Of course, I wouldn't imagine doing otherwise."

Not liking where this conversation could possibly end up, Suzume changed the subject. "Ichiro and Akira don't know you're here, do they?" She refused to call her father by anything but his name after he burst into the Igarashi residence uninvited that day. Long before that, she decided that she no longer considered Akira her brother.

"No, I had to hide the invitation before they could even catch a glimpse of it and make up an excuse about where we were going tonight. Not that the last part mattered anyway; the two of them are always working," her mother answered.

"Good, there's no need for a repeat of last time. Especially not tonight," she sighed. "If you want to see Kei, he's with Tora's parents. I'm sure they wouldn't mind speaking with you either."

"You know how to read your mother like a book. I've been dying to get my hands on that grandson of mine. I'll talk with you later, sweetheart." Hatomi kissed her on the cheek before setting off on her mission, Michio in tow.

They made their way through a bit more of the crowd, saying short pleasantries as they passed by, when he saw them. Apparently, his fiancée also noticed them because her eyes were looking off in the same direction when he glanced down at her. Seeing her face lit up, he knew that she was the one to invite them. The question was… how did she know them?

Both young couples came to a standstill in front of each other.

"Ayuzawa Misaki and Usui Takumi… I wasn't made aware that you two would be here tonight," Tora greeted, his insinuating tone of voice directed at the young woman standing beside him. They would _definitely_ be discussing this later when they had more privacy.

"As Suzume's friends, we're here to support her," Usui responded before adopting a more accusing tone. "All of our personal feelings on the matter aside."

Trying to escape the awkwardness that would soon follow, Suzume quickly cleared her throat. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me."

"Of course." Misaki offered her a small, soft smile.

* * *

Throughout the night, the engaged couple would leave one conversation with some of the Igarashi Group's business partners and enter another right after. It was a never-ending cycle. That's why when Suzume sat down, a plate of food in front of her, she sighed in relief. Her shoes began hurting her less than an hour into the party. Let the record show that the party started nearly three hours ago. The hours seemed to drag. On top of that, she hadn't seen her son all night. That was until her mother brought him to her.

Elation spread on her face as he stretched his arms out towards her. "There's my little man!" She peppered his face with kisses, then thanked Hatomi for bringing him to her. Suddenly, the pain wasn't as noticeable.

* * *

Eyes focused on her, he watched as she interacted with her son. This was the first time that he couldn't be found with her on his arm tonight. Scanning the room, he spotted him chatting with more guests. If only the Igarashi heir cared about her half as much as he did.


	8. Chapter 8

**I am so so so sorry that it took me this long to update! I've been crazy busy with school (mainly all the papers I had to write for my writing class). I actually finished this chapter in the spare time I had left from taking one of my finals yesterday. Then there was the writer's block. Gotta love that, right? Anyway, this chapter is all leading up to the ninth chapter, which I have a good chunk of already written. I'm eager to see what you all think by the end of this chapter.**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Patricia Walker (Guest):_** **It's killing me that I'm not writing scenes with Tora and Kei interacting but I don't think that Tora would just jump straight into fatherhood. Something needs to give him a push before he starts thinking of himself as a parent. I'll take that scene suggestion into consideration. ;)**

 ** _Padfoot Starfyre:_** **While you're correct about Suzume possibly needing more training in etiquette, you have to remember that she also comes from a wealthy family (clearly not as wealthy as the Igarashis). As for Kei, he'll be learning as he grows because he's not even six months old yet and he should be exposed to it plenty as he gets older since Tora and Suzume are engaged.**

* * *

As the night wore on, it became evident that it was _way_ past Kei's bedtime. He kept taking his fists and rubbing his eyes multiple times. The past few minutes, he's been fussing. Suzume hoped that he would end up falling asleep in her arms while she patted his back but she finally gave up on that dream. She blamed his stubbornness on his father.

"Excuse me for a moment. I need to put him to bed," she interjected during a conversation she and Tora were having with the CEO of Noguchi Enterprises and his wife, both looking to be in their early sixties.

"It was wonderful to meet you, Miss Asai," the elder woman expressed with a smile on her face.

Smiling back, she looked at the woman and her husband. "You as well."

After she walked away, Mr. Noguchi voiced his thoughts to Tora. "She's certainly a proud mother and a delight to be around. You're lucky to have such a good woman on your hands. Hold onto her."

* * *

Her heels clicked along the polished marble floors until she gradually slowed down and stopped. Looking out of her peripheral vision, she held Kei just a tad closer to her. When she craned her head around to the left and then the right, her decision was made. Turning her body, she faced the way she came from and saw that the hall was empty. Furrowing her brows, she resumed the walk to her bedroom after a couple seconds of standing there to be sure.

It must've been her imagination playing tricks on her. Suzume could've _sworn_ that she felt another presence and heard light extra footsteps. Not only that, when she turned around she thought she saw something move: a shadow or fabric, _something_.

Inside her room, she shut the door behind her and locked it as a precaution. She was thinking twice about leaving her son in her room unsupervised. Although, she couldn't very well stay in her room while her engagement party continued downstairs. As a result, she placed Kei in his crib and refused to leave until one of the maids knocked on the door. The maid agreed to stay with him at Suzume's request.

Once she exited the room, she maintained a heightened awareness of her surroundings. No red flags popped up during her journey back to the party. Maybe she was just being paranoid? Yeah, that had to be it.

* * *

Not too long after putting Kei to bed, the party came to an end. Most of the people were out the door within fifteen to twenty minutes. The last to leave were Usui, Misaki, Hatomi, and Michio. After they were gone, Suzume let out a tired sigh. She and Tora began going upstairs to their rooms. That was until he stopped walking and grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him.

"How do you know Usui Takumi and Ayuzawa Misaki?" Her surprised look faded into one of confusion and shock at his question.

"You mean that you didn't know I ended up at Seika after being kicked out of Miyabigaoka?"

He never did get around to asking Maki about her education… "Why Seika?"

"Because I couldn't afford to go anywhere else, Tora. I was forced to move out and live on my own while anticipating Kei's arrival. My mother and Michio lent me a hand by supporting me but they couldn't give me too much money without my father becoming suspicious. I had to be smart about how I spent it."

There was silence between the two of them for a few seconds before she started speaking again. "When I got to Seika, Misaki welcomed me with open arms and we became friends. In the beginning, she had her suspicions about my pregnancy since I came from Miyabigaoka. Although her suspicions were correct, I didn't tell her that."

He inwardly cringed after finding out that Misaki suspected him and even voiced her thoughts to Suzume.

"And for the record, I know what happened between the two of you. She and Usui told me all about it. Another thing you should probably know is that they're Kei's godparents," she informed him. Tora froze, stunned into silence as he watched her back while she resumed walking to her bedroom.

There were two reasons he stood like a statue. One, she knew about everything he'd done involving the couple, and two, he now knew that the couple would be watching him much closer to protect their friend and godchild.

Slightly glancing back, Suzume saw that her fiancé was still in his spot. To conceal her snickers – or at least make them a little quieter – she kept her mouth firmly shut. It wasn't often that something could get to Tora like this. Although she did know the information she just gave him was important and a bombshell at the same time, it didn't mean his reaction was any less amusing.

* * *

Days later, she's having tea with her future mother-in-law again. They were talking about anything that came to mind. These afternoons were relaxing for Suzume and she enjoyed being around Hanako. If only she could see her own mother more. For sure, she'd really like to have her input on the current conversation.

"You could always go out of the country," Hanako giddily supplied, ready to start making plans.

"Maybe," Suzume hummed, mulling the thought over in her head.

They were throwing around wedding ideas, not necessarily setting anything in stone just yet. Even if Tora didn't want to get married, she still wanted him to have a chance to get a say in the plans. He can't argue with the final decisions if she asks for his input.

Suzume placed her cup back onto its saucer and spoke with a soft smile. "I know I'd like to have an outdoor wedding, preferably in the fall so it's not as hot." If she has to go through with the wedding, she might as well make the best of it, right?

"Good idea. It's beautiful during the fall."

A few more ideas were voiced, then Suzume decided she would return to their conversation after checking up on Kei. She had put him down for a nap a couple hours ago. When she opened the door to her bedroom, she took one glance at his crib and took off back down the stairs.

Hanako walked inside to use the restroom when she came across Suzume in the hallway. The young woman told her what was going on and she rushed with her to her husband's office. One sweep around the room was all it took before Suzume was back out of the door and headed to Tora's office.


	9. Chapter 9

**I kept waiting for someone to comment about the little bit of foreshadowing I incorporated and we finally have a winner! Congratulations, _Padfoot Starfyre_! The foreshadowing I'm talking about first appeared in the last paragraph of chapter 7, followed by Suzume's suspicions when she put Kei to bed in chapter 8.**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Samara16_ : I figured that if Suzume was close to them and they were Kei's godparents that it would allow for them to be in the story more frequently and create the potential for more comedic scenes. Romance and comedy is one of my favorite combinations.**

 ** _Vijju123_ : Thanks for the compliment! :)**

 ** _Patricia Walker (Guest)_ : Well, here's the "push" you were waiting for! I'm probably as excited as you to get more into the wedding planning part, lol. Thanks for the luck on my finals! It was very useful. ;)**

 ** _Padfoot_ _Starfyre_ : Oh, how I always look forward to your reviews! Suzume really should have trusted her maternal instincts more. Knowing Tora, though, it won't be long before Kei is safe back at home. At least we have some time before the wedding takes place, so there's plenty of time left to get more planning scenes in.**

 **Thank you to my readers and a special thank you to everyone who reviewed. Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Dashing towards her fiancé's bedroom since he couldn't be found in his office, she came to a halt in front of him when he walked out into the hall.

"Why were you running? Couldn't stand to be away from me any longer?" Tora questioned, a smirk on his face. He's been off kilter lately with everything going on so he's hoping to get back to things being as normal as possible.

As she panted, she ignored his questions and got straight to her point of being there due to her urgency. "Kei's missing."

The smirk on his face quickly vanished and got replaced by an expression of seriousness. " _What?_ "

"I went to check on him while he took his nap and he wasn't there. Your mother was having tea with me in the garden, your father didn't have him, and all of the staff that I've seen on my way here haven't seen him either." Her voice started to break and tears began forming in the corners of her eyes. "Tora, I…" At that moment, the tears flowed freely and sobs escaped her mouth.

Never hearing his fiancée – or any woman, for that matter – sound so broken before, he pulled her into his chest and just held her. Hands landing on his chest, she clutched his shirt like she was holding on for dear life.

He hadn't paid crying girls any attention in the past but this situation was different. This was the woman he's engaged to, crying about their missing son. _His_ son. His own flesh and blood.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the door to the empty bedroom across the hall just barely stuck out from the doorframe. Tora deduced that the unused bedroom was the kidnapper's point of entry. His jaw set out of anger.

Prying Suzume's hands from his now wrinkled shirt, he stepped in front of her. "Stay behind me and don't let go of my hand," he ordered.

She regarded the expression he had on his face as they slowly made their way to the open door. Pausing and then nudging it open further, Tora scanned over the room. It was vacant as far as he could tell but he remained alert. The balcony doors were wide open, causing the white curtains to flow in the wind.

Her grip on his hand tightened but he had so many thoughts running through his head right then and there that it didn't bother him. No one messes with an Igarashi. _Especially_ Igarashi Tora.

"Come on."

She didn't question him, rather she chose to silently follow. At this point, she felt that if her mouth opened to say anything, only sobs would come out.

He led her downstairs and walked briskly into his father's office where his mother stood, speaking to Tashiro. The married couple glanced up with a hopeful glint in their eyes, only for it to disappear. Hanako rushed over to Suzume's side to engulf her in a tight hug. Her hand came loose from her fiancé's as she wrapped her arms around the woman hugging her and began sobbing again.

Tora made his way over to his father and started to quietly converse with him about what was going on. Although, Tashiro already had a pretty good guess.

"We'll have to increase security here. Also, you and Suzume will have a security detail at all times whenever you leave until whoever is responsible gets caught," Mr. Igarashi declared, a dark tone in his voice. "And they _will_ be caught."

* * *

Suzume sat in a chair by the doors to the balcony, staring at the setting sun with a heavy heart, when the door to the bathroom opened. It didn't faze her any when she turned her head to see Tora with no shirt on and damp hair. Her head just swiveled back to its original position. Ever since they returned after their silent dinner, she hadn't moved from that spot.

It was decided that she stay in Tora's room for her own safety. Being alone in her own room next to his just didn't warrant the same level of security as that.

Across the room, where Tora stood, he let out a quiet huff that could have been mistaken for a sigh. Trying to think of something to tell his fiancée – who he doesn't have feelings for – so she can be a little more at ease is proving more difficult than he imagined. What could one possibly say to a mother who hasn't the slightest clue as to where her nearly six-month-old son is or if he's okay? Apparently, he was always at a loss for words when it comes to Suzume. The only thing he could come up with sounded stupid in his mind… but it was the only thing he had.

Moving closer, he rested his hands against the back of a sofa not far from where she sat. "We'll find him." After saying it out loud, it still sounded stupid. Anything that seemed to be consoling in any way just wasn't in his nature.

In a hushed voice with tears threatening to spill down her face, she replied, "He's only a baby. It should have been me."

"Of anyone, it should have been me." His mouth released the words before he even registered the thought in his brain. Within an instant, her gaze focused on him. "The two of you were perfectly fine before the engagement."

Her expression softened as she shook her head and attempted to find words to contradict him. This wasn't his fault. He had to know that. Right?

Clearing his throat, he spoke before she got the chance to come up with a response. "It's been a long day. We should both get some rest." Tora walked towards the bed and, for a few seconds, all she could do was stare at his back.

Finally standing, she followed suit but went to the opposite side of the king-sized bed. She was hesitant when she started to lay down. The last time they shared a bed had been in high school so this was awkward… for her, at least. There's no way she could know what Tora's thinking.

Enough space was between them for two large pillows, yet her body was tense as she laid on her side, facing the balcony. All she wished was for her baby boy to be okay.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here is chapter 10! I'm so excited that the story is up to 10 chapters already! Thank you to all of my readers and those of you that have reviewed, favorited, or followed. I really appreciate your support.**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Padfoot Starfyre:_ I really don't know what to say without revealing anything… so thank you for reviewing! XD**

 ** _Patricia Walker (Guest):_ Well, Tora is a tough nut to crack so the push kind of needed to be more of a bombshell. About him flipping the world to find Kei, he definitely has the resources to do so. If you have any suggestions for wedding details, I would love to hear them!**

 ** _MystearicaBlaze:_ There's no need to apologize! We all have lives outside of fanfiction. I'm glad you like the way the story is progressing and I also almost died from fangirling when I wrote that line. Misaki and Takumi having something to do with Kei missing? That's an interesting theory you have there.**

 ** _existaential:_ I'm glad you find my overall idea interesting! You're welcome for the support and thank you for supporting me!**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"I don't care what it takes, Igarashi. You get my godson back!" Misaki hadn't brought out the 'demon president' side of her since she graduated from Seika High. It's showing right now, though not at full force. Not that it did much good anyway. Tora never was one to be bothered by it, unlike the guys from Seika. Today, the 'demon president' emerged because of her anger at the situation.

Irritation is what he felt right now. Towards everything. Towards his work, Misaki's well-intended implications that he wouldn't try his hardest to get Kei back, whoever took Kei, and even himself. That irritation didn't extend to his fiancée, however. Of anyone, she obviously got hurt the worst and him being irrationally irritated at her wouldn't make her feel any better.

"Unfortunately, Misaki, the only thing I'm able to do as of right now is wait for the police to have some sort of development." With his stern voice, she calmed down.

Sighing, she crossed her arms in front of her. "Sorry. I'm just worried is all. Let me know when something happens." Misaki exited his office and he ran a hand through his hair. A brief knock on his door sounded soon after that.

"Come in," he announced and Suzume entered.

Walking up to the edge of his desk, she gingerly placed her fingertips on the dark wood. "Your mother and I were going to start making official plans for the wedding. Would you like to join us?"

He wanted to say no, but he also knew that he should be contributing something. "I have to finish looking over this document. I'll join you after."

Suzume silently nodded. "Have you heard anything yet?" She was trying to distract herself by doing things that might keep her mind busy – hence beginning to plan the wedding. As much as it seemed like she was alright on the outside, she was continuously crumbling on the inside.

It pained him to tell her, even though he didn't show it. "Not a thing."

"I'll see you in the parlor then." A forced smile graced her lips. Turning around to leave, she left Tora to finish his business.

* * *

No doubt, he was already completely bored out of his mind. Why would he care what the color scheme of their wedding is or what kind of flowers they had? From his point of view, the ceremony is only a formality that attracts the media's attention.

He knew that many women dreamed of planning their own wedding and making sure it lived up to their dreams but (1) he isn't a woman and (2) wedding details are usually more important to the bride rather than the groom. In their situation, Tora didn't think that his fiancée would be so gung-ho about it all. Clearly, he was wrong. It's not that he had any issues with it, he was surprised is all.

His mother had called a wedding planner, Shizuma Kaori, to join them, most likely to make the whole process easier and less stressful. Even if those were her intentions, he felt the opposite. Between the endless number of questions and all three women inquiring about his opinions, he was starting to feel the beginnings of a headache.

They'd decided to hold the ceremony on October 16th and that had been the only thing that Tora really cared to comment on. All the other decisions weren't nearly as important to him.

Suzume figured out the color scheme – turquoise, lilac, and silver – with some help from his mother. The details that created the foundation of what the wedding would look like were the first to be sorted out – such as colors – and they were the only things mentioned today. Everything was jotted down in the wedding planner's journal which had been labeled with Tora and Suzume's names.

After two and a half hours of wedding talk, they were finished for the day. Another appointment was set up then Kaori bid them farewell. His mother departed from the room right behind her.

"Thank you for enduring that. I know it's not what you expected to be doing today," Suzume remarked as she rose from her place beside him. "I'm leaving to meet my brother. If you receive any news while I'm gone, call me."

* * *

Walking through the door, she noticed Michio sitting in a booth located at the back of the coffee shop like she asked where they would be away from windows – and hopefully prying eyes. Paparazzi were chomping at the bit to get any kind of scoop involving her and the Igarashis since they caught wind of Kei's disappearance.

Her brother looked up at the jingling bell that sounded by the entrance and the sound of footsteps approaching. "So, you have a security detail now," he stated with amusement in his eyes. To see his sister accepting something that gives the impression of her being wealthy was unusual.

She slid into the booth across from him. His amusement was enough for her to know that he had no clue about what happened. "There's a reason for that," she started and paused to take a deep breath. "Kei went missing yesterday. Someone kidnapped him out of his crib." After the information came out of her mouth, it surprised her that Michio kept his cool.

"Please tell me that's just a terrible joke." He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes.

Silent for a few seconds, she pressed her lips together at her brother's plea. "I wish it was. The police are investigating but there's nothing so far."

"What about that fiancé of yours?" he snapped. So much for him keeping his cool.

Oddly enough, Suzume found herself compelled to defend Tora and slightly angered with what her brother implied. Tora may come across as though he doesn't care any other time, but his actions during the past 24 hours have been plenty of justification. Her words came out stern. "Don't you turn this on him. He's done nothing wrong. He's even dealing with me staying in his bedroom… oops."

"You're staying in his _bedroom_?!" The fatal mistake of mentioning that small detail was enough to bring out his overprotectiveness that came along with having a sister, especially a younger one.

"After what happened yesterday, would you rather I be all alone in my own room?!" That's how their argument ended so quickly. She always had some sort of retort to shut him up when they argued.

Standing from his seat, Michio sighed. "By any means, no. This is just a lot to take in at once. You're my baby sister, Suzume. It's my job to be protective of you _and_ my nephew. I just worry that Igarashi is only seeing his engagement to you as entertainment."

Seeing her brother turn away, she made him stop as she asked with a hint of sadness, "Are you leaving already?"

"No, I just have to use the restroom. I drank some coffee before you got here." Right after giving his answer, he briskly made his way to the bathrooms and his sister laughed.

While he was away from the table, she went up to the front counter and ordered her own drink. There were eyes burning holes into the back of her head the whole time, but she knew it was only her security detail doing their job. Once she returned to her table, their stares let up.

Not long after, a young boy looking quite frightened walked over to deliver her order. At the same time as he put her drink down, he also handed her a piece of paper and whispered to her that a man asked him to give it to her. The boy scurried away right after and she couldn't help but hope he felt alright.

Reading the note, she understood just why he appeared so freaked out. Her spine became rigid and her hands slightly shook. She needed to get home. Quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Before I say anything else, I want honest opinions. Would you all participate in an interactive and reader-insert story, an anime spin-off of The Selection Series by Kiera Cass? I have it posted on Quotev and Wattpad already but I don't have any takers yet on either website so… If you'd like to know more about it, check out either of my profiles: Red-Velvet-Lover (Quotev) or R5getsLOUDER (Wattpad). Let me know what you think and if you absolutely want me to, I'll post it on here!**

 **Okay, back to talking about the story! Many of you have been waiting for this chapter and I think it's the longest chapter that I've written so far. I'm sorry that it took so long but I got stuck at a certain part and didn't know how to proceed. Needless to say, I figured it out.**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Patricia Walker (Guest):_ I will tell you that the kidnapper(s) was/were not the people mentioned at the end of chapter 1. Those guys were just nosy paparazzi. Also, that's a very interesting idea you have about Tora in relation to the wedding planning. Don't worry about your comment being long! I love reading everyone's reviews because it makes me feel all tingly inside to know what you all think.**

 ** _MystearicaBlaze:_ I'm so sorry I always keep you in suspense. XD Especially since it took me a while to post this chapter… I had a rough time developing it .-.**

 ** _existaential:_ You know it.**

 ** _Samara16:_ I love that you said Tora is finally "showing" concern for Kei because he did have his concerns but Tora being Tora wasn't going to show that he did.**

 **Well, I'll let you all get to reading!**

* * *

Barging through his office doors, she bolted to his desk and forcefully placed the note on top of the papers in front of Tora. Immediately, he glanced up at her with an annoyed look, seeing as she interrupted his work.

"What is this?"

Suzume stared at him, the expression on her face saying that she wasn't messing around and her tone containing urgency. "Just read it."

"'If you want your son back, you and your fiancé need to be at this address by 7 pm. Alone.'" Scanning his eyes over the short note for a second time, he paused. "Where did you get this?"

She recounted the event like it had happened just minutes earlier. During her explanation, she could only imagine the gears in his head turning. Only a hand in the air made her stop speaking.

"You said a man asked the waiter to give this to you?" Tora inquired, picking up the note between his fingers. After receiving a nod, he continued. "Did you notice anyone else while you were there? Anyone that looked suspicious?"

"No. When I got there, the only people I saw were Michio and the staff."

A sigh escaped from his lips. "Go get ready. We're leaving in an hour. I have a few calls to make before we go." Raising his cell phone to his ear after pressing a speed dial number, he watched his fiancée walk away and shut the door behind her.

The phone rang for a few seconds before the person on the other end picked up. "Maki, I need you to access a surveillance tape from one of your coffee shops for me."

Mere minutes later, Maki Kanade was able to address Tora's question of suspicious figures thanks to the wonders of technology. "They were alone the entire time. Although when checking before she arrived, there was a man that conversed with the waiter and handed him a slip of paper. He also kept his face hidden from the cameras, so it's clear that he's the one responsible for the note."

"Send me a picture and ask the waiter if he remembers anything about this man. Gather all the information possible as quickly as you can," Tora immediately responded, determination resonating in his voice. "This ends _tonight_."

* * *

Waiting by the front door, Suzume rubbed her sweaty hands together before beginning to twist her engagement ring around her finger absentmindedly. Her nerves were getting the best of her, especially since there's no way of knowing what's waiting for them at that address. Inside, her heart pounded as if she had just come back from going on a run.

Footsteps caught her attention and she found the Igarashi heir swiftly walking towards her, keys in hand. Eyebrows scrunched, she gave him a questioning look. "You're driving?"

"We were told to come alone. I don't want to risk anything happening that would cause them to harm Kei."

Letting out a deep breath, she gave an affirmative nod. "Right…"

Swiftly descending the small set of stairs towards the waiting vehicle, they got settled in the car. Holding the door open for her would've been the gentlemanly thing to do, but it takes up precious time. Time that Tora would rather dedicate to bringing Kei back.

The longer they sat in the car, the more Suzume's heart pounded in her chest. Meeting the person or people that took her son and going to an unfamiliar place are circumstances that don't exactly bode well. Mainly because the two of them have no back up whatsoever.

By the time they could see their destination in the distance, Tora decided it would be best that he turn the headlights off as they approached the seemingly old hideout. Parking the car, the two of them stepped out of the vehicle while on high alert of their surroundings.

She never faltered in keeping up with her fiancé as they got closer to the entrance of the building. He gave her a look just minutes before that translated into an unspoken command for her to stay close. Although, the silent command wasn't necessary since she didn't want to be out of arms reach – afraid of what might happen if she was.

Wood making up the front porch creaked beneath their feet. That was the only noise until Tora kicked the door open. Their eyes readjusted to the orange-ish glow coming from several lamps placed around the rather barren room.

"Right on time," a voice called out from the darkness across the room where the light didn't reach. Suzume could have sworn she's heard that voice before.

A scowl formed on Tora's face as the owner of the voice stepped into the light. That's when it clicked in her head.

Miyabigaoka. He went to Miyabigaoka. One key moment from high school stood out to her. The election for Student Council President. During the campaign – when she started developing a crush on Tora – no one really paid much attention to the other candidate. Tora won by a landslide.

"Koganei… where is he?" Tora growled.

Being addressed by name seemed to inflate his ego. "Ah, so you do remember me."

"Where is Kei?" she immediately questioned, not in the mood to beat around the bush.

Another figure stepped out from the shadows. It came as no shock to her when her eyes landed on Akira, holding Kei. "I hope you don't mind me borrowing my nephew, baby sister. After all, he brought you both here, running."

"Why are you doing this?"

Her eldest brother let out a bout of mocking laughter. "You really don't get it, do you? You were exiled from the family and now you're engaged to _him_ ," Akira spat, nodding in Tora's direction. "I've been trying to keep you out of my way before Father ever kicked you out of the house and then your fiancé's family just had to threaten the business that _I'm supposed to inherit_."

"I never wanted to be involved in the family business anyway! Just give me my son and we can go our separate ways."

Dry laughter came from his mouth this time. "Oh, I don't think so, baby sister. It's too late for that. Besides, Koganei has a stake in this too."

Eyes narrowed, Tora's tone is harsh – just as he meant for it to be. "Mind telling us what that stake is?"

"This is my revenge for you taking away what should have been mine!" Koganei's hands balled into fists at his sides as he spoke. "You got the presidency _and_ the girl! I was at the engagement party and I could see that you don't care about her like I do."

"If you cared about me at all, you wouldn't be doing this! I can make my own decisions."

A group of muscular men came out from behind the couple and two of them grabbed hold of Suzume, lifting her just a few inches or so off the ground. It was enough to leave her feet dangling. Thrashing around to get out of their grip didn't do much considering they were much stronger than her. They stopped in front Koganei while the others busied themselves with distracting Tora.

One of his hands started to caress her face while she tried to flinch away. "I do care. In fact, I love you, Suzume. I've loved you ever since I saw you in the halls of Miyabigaoka. That's why I'm saving you from this horrible mistake."

Suddenly, the door got kicked open a second time. Usui waltzed right in with Misaki, Michio, and plenty of reinforcements from Suzume's days at Seika High School. She wondered how they knew that she and Tora would be here.

"You two?!" Koganei's eyes zeroed in on Usui and Misaki, remembering them from years before.

"How about you keep your hands to yourself?" Usui suggested, feeling overprotective of Suzume as if her own brother, Michio, wasn't in the room.

Everyone assisted Tora with the men he had been fighting off on his own to the point where he could focus his attention back on the two ringleaders of Kei's kidnapping. Michio and Kanou were aided by a couple other people, managing to free Suzume and hold down Koganei.

"He's taking off with Kei!" Misaki shouted over all the commotion towards the parents who, in turn, followed Akira down a set of stairs that led to a basement.

Down a hallway and taking a left, Akira fled through a door to the backside of the old house. Tora being more athletically inclined than Suzume had an easier time keeping up, whereas his fiancée fell behind. They rounded the corner of the house, ending up out front where Maki could be seen standing with police standing all around him and a smile on his face that said 'you can't get away.'

Now she knew that he had filled Maki in on where they would be. So much for coming alone and not taking any risks.

"Give us our son." Akira didn't make any sort of movement, increasing Tora's anger. "This is the last time I'll repeat myself. _Give us our son!_ "

She stared at her fiancé. 'Our son…' He really did say it.


	12. Chapter 12

**For those of you who have never read the manga, there was a page where it said that Koganei was originally supposed to be the Miyabigaoka Student Council President. That's where I came up with the idea that he lost to Tora in the election.**

 **Anyway… CHAPTER 12! YAY! Sorry it took so long to update. I kind of wrote myself into a corner during this chapter. I seriously got stuck. Hence why this chapter is coming out like two months after the previous one. Nevermind the fact that I'm a full-time college student and I'm working on top of that so… I honestly don't know how I feel about this chapter. I mean, I like it but Tora is kind of OOC (more than usual). I guess that anyone would be OOC too if they found out like he did that they have a kid.**

 **Really quick, I'm going to do some shameless promoting XD. If you like Teen Titans (not the new Teen Titans Go!) and Sword Art Online, I'm considering a crossover between the two. I'm asking for some help from readers to get it started so go check out** ** _Aincrad Titans_** **!**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Patricia Walker (Guest):_** **I had that line planned out for a long time XD. Usui's line was pretty much taken from the episode of Maid Sama when he rescued Misaki from Miyabigaoka… Just so you know, I'm a sucker for anything romance. Weddings and proposals especially.**

 ** _Padfoot Starfyre:_** **Oh yeah, there's no way Tora would let those two off with a light sentence. I'm so glad you like how I incorporated Misaki and Takumi!**

 ** _MystearicaBlaze:_** **Such animosity towards Akira and Koganei… You weren't the only one either XD. It's actually really funny. I enjoy reading reviews where readers rant or flip out because of feels, so thanks!**

 ** _Samara16_ and _existaential:_** **I fangirled while writing the "our son" part… It's probably my favorite part of that whole chapter.**

 **On with the chapter!**

* * *

"Put the child down and back away slowly with your hands in the air!" one of the policemen ordered. Still, no movement was made. By this point, Michio stood alongside his sister and Tora as he was no longer needed to hold Koganei down inside. How thankful he was to the officer who took him into custody. He didn't know how much longer he could've kept his cool.

A resounding click from cocking a gun filled the silence. The thumping in her chest quickened, scared of what would transpire next. If Akira was against her and Tora enough to kidnap Kei, who knows what his next move would be?

Surprisingly enough, he did as the officer commanded. Another officer placed a set of handcuffs around his wrists while the other holstered his gun. Suzume almost fell to the ground, her knees buckling from relief, but her fiancé caught her before she ever hit the grass. Meanwhile, Michio took it upon himself to go pick up his nephew just as another officer directed Koganei out of the building behind them.

Before he disappeared into the police vehicle, Tora haughtily called out to him. Just as his head turned to the couple, Tora grabbed her by the waist and pushed her up against him for a kiss. "She's _my_ fiancée," he reminded him.

If she hadn't been caught off-guard and frozen in place, Suzume would've seen Michio's jaw – along with Usui, Misaki, and several others' jaws – drop.

* * *

During the car ride home, she set her gaze on him as he kept one hand on the steering wheel. "So, what happened to not risking anything and going alone?"

"I might have told Maki to delay his arrival with the police," he commented with a smug grin.

"And the others?"

Nothing but silence filled the air between them as he contemplated how he was going to answer. "I hadn't spoken with any of them about where we'd be." He received a disbelieving look. "That doesn't mean I didn't tell Maki to get in touch with Misaki."

Shaking her head, she let out a lighthearted laugh. After a few seconds of quiet, she was the one to break the ice. "I know you probably don't want to, but I think it's necessary that we talk about what happened."

"Can't this wait–"

"No. Both matters aren't something we should put off discussing, especially since both influence the future." Nothing further came from her fiancé and she took it as an invitation to continue. "Did you genuinely call Kei 'our' son?"

"I know that I haven't been very willing to help out with him… but I'm still coming to terms with a change this grand."

She didn't know how to respond, so Suzume took a few minutes to organize her thoughts. "Even so, thank you for everything you did to get him back."

Tora put the car in park as they pulled up to the front entrance of the Igarashi mansion. "No one messes with my family and gets away with it. That and Misaki was prepared to have my head." Her giggle surprised him.

When the giggles subsided, a smile remained on her face. "Sounds like her. One more thing before we go inside: why… why did you kiss me? Was it just to prove a point to Koganei? Or…" It was awkward for her to ask considering their past and the fact that she's blushing. Taking Tora's nature into consideration, it seems a bit of a stretch. People can change, though. Even him, right? Oh, who was she kidding? There's no way.

"I think it's better if we discuss this inside."

* * *

The moment they walked through the door, they were greeted by two very relieved grandparents. Hanako already wrapped herself around the three of them in a hug before they could step into the home any further.

"I'm so glad you're all alright!" Stepping away, she regarded her son and his fiancée. The look in their eyes revealed their fatigue. Her husband could see it too.

Resting a hand on his wife's shoulder, Tashiro spoke up. "Perhaps you should all go get some rest. I'm sure today has been a very tiring day." After agreeing and saying goodnight, they climbed the stairs and headed down the hallway.

"Where are you going?"

They stopped in their tracks and Suzume looked back at Tora, confused. "To my bedroom…?"

Letting out a huff, he walked over to his fiancée and rested a hand on her back to guide her towards his room. One glance around the room after he opened the door was all it took for him to know that he needed to explain.

"I had the staff move the crib and everything else into my room while we were gone." He immediately followed with his reasoning. "It'd be safer than having you both in a different room, especially after what just happened." The look on her face gave the impression that she didn't believe that was the whole truth but she didn't say anything otherwise.

"Oh… yeah, that makes sense." She'd be lying if she said it didn't make her feel a little bit nervous to think that his room would now be considered _their_ room. Laying an already sleeping Kei down in his crib, she turned around to face her fiancé. "About what we were discussing earlier–"

The rest of her sentence was lost when he pulled her close and kissed her for the second time that night. Gentleness separated this kiss from the other, as well as the slower pace. It made it easy for her to melt in his arms.

With a serious expression, he stared straight into her eyes. "I did do it just to prove a point. Then after I did, I realized that you didn't deserve to go through everything alone and I want to make up for that, even though you never asked me for anything when most other girls would have." To say the least, she was shocked. Who was this man in front of her and what did he do with Igarashi Tora? "I'm sure that you hate me for treating you the way I did."

Giving him a tender smile, she told him, "I could slap you a billion times over but I could never _hate_ you. Tora, you gave me one of the best things to ever happen in my life. I would have liked to wait to have kids until after I got married though. Regardless, I wouldn't change a thing."


	13. Chapter 13

**I know! I know! It's been two months since I last posted, I'm so sorry! November and December were very busy months for me. The closer it got to the end of the semester, the more school demanded of me and working retail during the holidays doesn't allow me much free time either. SO! I hope you all enjoy this delayed chapter!**

 **Review Responses:**

 ** _Padfoot Starfyre:_ When Suzume said that she would have rather waited to have kids after marriage, she didn't necessarily mean after her and Tora got married. It was more of a general statement. But that doesn't really matter anyway since, like you said, that's not the situation they were dealt.**

 ** _MichikoHe:_ I'm so glad to have you as another reader! I hope you continue to enjoy my story!**

 ** _MystearicaBlaze:_ Yes! They did kiss! Not once, but TWICE! ;)**

* * *

After her eyes fluttered open, Suzume stared up at the ceiling. Following yesterday's events, she really didn't want to leave her son but she also knew that she couldn't miss another day of classes. She sat up and, just as her feet were about to touch the floor, a hand tugged at her wrist. The force made her fall back onto the bed. Hazel eyes met golden ones.

A couple blinks and then she stared up at Tora, upside down and wide-eyed. "Good morning."

"Where do you think you're going?" He leaned in closer to her face, causing a blush to cover her cheeks. Well, he's back from whatever vacation he took last night. It had been a little unsettling to hear what he said before they fell asleep and now he's back to being a shameless flirt. At least he's finally holding a conversation with her.

Being that close to him, her voice came out quieter than usual and she stuttered. "I–I need to get ready for class."

"Stay home today," he mumbled against her lips.

"That'd be great if I hadn't already skipped so much." Her cheeks were hot as she escaped from him so she could prepare to leave.

Tora didn't say anything else as she entered their closet to search for something to wear. Looking around in the walk-in closet, she realized how few clothes she had. That is when compared to how many her fiancé has. His clothes covered a whole wall and then some while her wardrobe was about an eighth of his.

Pulling a shirt off a hanger and a pair of pants from a shelf, she turned around at the noise behind her. At the opposite wall, Tora had grabbed a shirt as well and started taking off his shirt that he remained in from yesterday. Why she stared at him, she had no clue. It's not like she hadn't seen him without a shirt before, but it was the fact that he did it without a second thought.

Even with his back to her, he knew she was staring. It was easy to hear the delight in his voice. "Are you going to finish or are you going to keep staring?" Turning and walking out of the closet with her clothes in hand, she could feel her cheeks burning again.

Suzume finished up her morning routine in the bathroom. While brushing her hair, her engagement ring glittered and she paused. The last time she considered the beautiful ring, she thought that the only reason she wore it was because it would cause trouble otherwise. Extending her left hand, she admired it and smiled lightly. Last night is making her think differently.

Hands gently landed on her hips and a kiss was placed in the crook of her neck, causing her to involuntarily giggle.

"Tora, stop. I already told you, I'm not staying home," she tried saying firmly between her fits of giggles. Her eyes met his in the mirror and he shrugged, indifferent.

With a smirk on his face, he replied, "Worth a shot."

Suzume paid attention to his clothes. He looked like he was headed out instead of staying home. "Since you're dressed, I assume you have plans for today?"

"Yes, but I thought I'd drop you off at class first."

They walked back into the bedroom and Suzume noticed that Kei stood in his playpen, his pajamas already discarded. Blinking and mouth slightly ajar, she kept her gaze on her son. After a moment, she turned toward her fiancé. Did he really…?

"You took care of Kei?"

"Does it really surprise you that much? He's my son just as much as he is yours and I figured I'd take him with me today," he retorted while moving Kei from the playpen to the carrier and strapping him in. Meanwhile, she gathered things that needed to be included in the diaper bag.

At first, she didn't know what to say. Suddenly, Tora's acting more like a father. "It's… unexpected is all. I keep thinking back to how we were in high school. Honestly, when I found out I was pregnant, I couldn't picture you as a parent. At least, not at our age." Zipping up the diaper bag, she began placing the strap on her shoulder only for it to be taken from her hands.

Minutes later, when they walked out the front door, Tora hadn't allowed her to carry anything out to the car aside from her tote bag that she used for her school books. His actions today had her head spinning. This was not the Tora she was used to.

* * *

Pulling up to the curb closest to the building that housed Suzume's first class, Tora put the car in park and made a move to open his door.

She stopped him before he could lay a hand on the door handle. "You don't have to get out and open my door. I'm more than capable of doing that on my own… but I appreciate the gesture." Smiling, she laid a hand on his forearm. For a moment, she considered kissing his cheek then decided against it. "I'll see you two after my classes."

Stepping out of the car, she grabbed her bag and made her way to the sidewalk. Turning around, she stood and waved as her fiancé pulled away from the curb. After a few seconds, she began making her way to class.

Thinking back to the first day she and Tora came to class after the engagement was announced, things had changed a lot. There are still some glares aimed in her direction, but they don't bother her nearly as much as they used to. It's easier for her to smile more naturally too.

What got worse was the guys that were staring her down became more assertive. In the time it took for her to walk from the car to the lecture hall where her first class was, five guys walked up to her and asked if they could carry her bag for her. Her answer to all five of them? No. If anyone would be carrying her bag, aside from herself, it would be her fiancé.

By the time she reached her second class, they had thoroughly annoyed and irritated her. Suzume slumped down in her seat. This day is going to drag on, she could feel it.

* * *

Tora walked through the door with the diaper bag hanging from his left shoulder and the baby carrier in his right hand. He felt out of place, even more so when he saw the looks he was receiving from some familiar faces. Maki was the only one that remained stoic. His eyes narrowed at them and all but Usui lost their amused look.

No one spoke a word about it, but it was clear that Usui was holding himself back. That devilish grin said it all. Misaki had told him to restrain himself when she learned that he would be going to a tux fitting for Tora and Suzume's wedding today.

An older man wearing glasses and a tailor's tape measure around his neck walked up to the group. "Ah, Mr. Igarashi! Congratulations on your engagement! We are thrilled to be involved in the preparations for the wedding of the year! Are these your groomsmen?" The man gestured to the five men standing behind Tora. Maki is his best man, leaving Usui and the three guys from Miyabigaoka's Elite Group as his groomsmen.

"Yes, they are."


	14. Chapter 14

Forgive me! I know it's been a really long time since I've updated this story, but I'm hoping to get back on track with it. I just hope that my professors are nice to me this semester and don't assign too much homework. Along with being a full-time student, I'm still working part-time. Pretty much, if I'm not at school, I'm at work. I promise you all that I will try harder to get the next chapter out to you as quickly as possible. Life tends to happen, though, and I can't ignore it – as much as I really want to.

For those of you who are still with me, thank you so much for hanging in there and I'm sorry for your wait!

Review Responses:

 _Padfoot Starfyre:_ I'm glad that you see things this way. Even though they seem to be moving along rather quickly, there are several factors that come into play. They're parents, they live in the same house (and recently began to share a bedroom), and they dealt with kidnappers. Since you're looking forward to the wedding preparations, I can't wait to find out what you think of this chapter!

 _MystearicaBlaze:_ I like this version of Tora too! His flirty side is my favorite side. I couldn't wait to write about a father-son moment and I'm so excited to write more of those in the future!

* * *

A week later, Tora returned to attending his classes. He and Suzume haven't had much interaction because of it. They see each other during their morning ride to classes and up until her first class, then meet again at the end of the day. Once they arrive back home, they go their separate ways. He goes to his office to aid his father in running the conglomerate while she studies and tends to Kei. Usually, when he's finally heading to bed, she's already out like a light.

Sometime during that week, Suzume got together with her mother and she informed her of a particular event happening that she wanted to share with her. Time since then seemed to fly by, bringing them back together.

Hatomi, Hanako, and Misaki were sitting alongside her on an elegant, white couch. Another couch was occupied by two more of her friends from Seika and two girls from Miyabigaoka's Elite Group.

"I can't believe one of my friends is getting married already!" Kaon seemed annoyed by Sakura's outburst. She called the salmon-haired girl childish in her thoughts, yet Kaon is the one clutching a stuffed bear in her arms.

One of the consultants made her way over to the group and introduced herself. "If you'd like, you could browse through the racks or, if you have something in mind already, I can try to find something for you to try on."

"I think we'll browse." Suzume stood up and faced everyone with a smile. "I'd like to see what we can find."

Everyone branched off, beginning their search. Misaki stuck near Suzume, wearing a concerned expression. Sakura's earlier comment resounded in her mind.

"Are you sure about this? About getting married, I mean."

Letting out a sigh, the bride-to-be tried to ease her best friend's mind. "I know what you went through with Tora in high school wasn't… the best, but I think he's serious about this. He's taking responsibility for choices he's made in the past. While he still has some adjusting to do to this situation, he's been doing pretty well so far. Besides, us getting married is what's best for Kei."

The uneasiness dissipated some, but it was still apparent. "But is it what's best for you?"

"Maybe? I don't know…" Averting her gaze, she shrugged and sighed again. "I keep thinking back to our days at Miyabigaoka and, when I do, all these feelings resurface. It scares the living daylights out of me, but I find that I'm comfortable around him despite what happened."

"As long as you're comfortable, I feel somewhat at ease. The second you're not, you let me know and I'll hit him so hard that he sees stars for a week." Laughing at Misaki's 'demon president' side coming out, Suzume agreed.

* * *

They each found at least one dress and passed them on to the consultant who placed them in a dressing room. The first dress Suzume tried on was her mother's pick. When she walked out to show the group, Hatomi had tears in her eyes.

Standing up, the woman placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders then slid them down her arms to grasp her hands. "Oh, my baby girl is all grown up."

"Mom… Save the tears for the wedding," she replied with a laugh, wiping away a couple stray teardrops threatening to fall from her own eyes.

"Now let's get a good look at that dress." Pushing her daughter up onto the small pedestal, she sat back down and they all examined how she looked in the A-line dress. The fit was a firm no, even though the design was beautiful. It just wasn't the dress for her.

Several more of the dresses they found were tried on, but no luck finding _the one_. Their consultant even pulled some that were just as stunning as the ones before. They were all becoming a bit restless, not coming up with any promising candidates.

"I don't see why you came to try on dresses when you have the ability to have a custom-designed dress anyway," Kaon spoke up. Honestly, she had plenty of money at her disposal. Why would she look at dresses that any other girl in Japan could be seen in when she could have a one-of-a-kind? "This is supposed to be the wedding of the year, right? Everyone will be expecting something amazing."

"It _would_ guarantee that you have the perfect dress," Yi Hua supported.

Glancing around the room, she saw her Seika friends nod in agreement. "Mostly, I wanted us to get together for this to spend a little time together, but I think you're right. I've gone through over a dozen dresses. I don't think I'm going to find what I'm looking for."

Hanako smiled. "I believe I know someone who can help you with that. I'll contact her and set up a meeting."

"Great!" Suzume smiled.

All eight of them traveled back to the Igarashi estate to have lunch before their day together ended. Suzume pulled Misaki, Shizuko, and Sakura aside as the others continued through the mansion.

"I wanted to ask you all something. You were all there when I needed help and we've become the best of friends. I couldn't just choose one of you when you've all been so important to me. Will you all be my maids of honor?"

Sakura leaped towards her, squishing her in a tight hug. "Of course!" Laughing at Sakura's excitement, Misaki and Shizuko also accepted. After thanking them, Suzume led them all to the outdoor table for lunch.

* * *

Pausing at the front entrance, Suzume pressed a kiss to Kei's head. "Mommy loves you. Thank you again for setting this up and watching Kei while I'm gone, Hanako. I really appreciate it."

"Where are you going?" Tora asked as he walked closer, coming from his office.

"It's not a problem dear, that's what grandmothers are for. We'll see you when you get back." The older woman smiled and took her grandchild toward a room with toys.

Turning back to her fiancé, she filled him in on her plans. "I'm going to meet with a designer for my dress. I shouldn't be gone long since this is just to get an idea of what it'll look like and have measurements taken."

"Well, then I'll walk you out." A member of the staff held the front door open as he placed a hand against her back and ushered her outside to the waiting car.

They said their goodbyes and the car began pulling away. Tora stood in the same spot with his hands in his pockets while the car disappeared towards the gate, just thinking about the position he's in and what exactly it is that he's feeling.


End file.
